GB2215997A

GB2215997A - A bed settee

Info

Publication number: GB2215997A
Application number: GB8904233A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis John Satchwell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-02-24
Filing date: 1989-02-24
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Also published as: GB8904233D0; GB8804226D0

Abstract

A bed-settee comprising a base and an upper section including pivotally interconnected seat and back portions, the upper section being adjustable between an erect configuration in which the back portion is inclined to the horizontal to define the back of a settee and a lowered configuration in which the back and seat portions are substantially horizontal and co-planar to define a bed. The back portion is pivotal relative to the seat portion about a horizontal axis and at least one strut is pivotally connected at one end to the base and at the other end to the back portion. The or each strut is pivotal relative to the base and the back portion about horizontal axes extending parallel to the said axis, and the upper section is slidably mounted on tracks supported by the base and lying in planes perpendicular to the said axes. <IMAGE>

Description

A BED SETTEE The present invention relates to an article of furniture which is convertible between a first configuration in which it is suitable for use as a settee and a second configuration in which it is suitable for use as a bed. Such an article of furniture is referred to hereinafter as a bed settee.

Bed settees of various designs are known. These known designs can be considered as falling into two broad categories, that is a first category in which a number of separable components can be arranged in either a bed configuration or a settee configuration, or a second category in which there are a number of components but they are permanently interconnected in a way which enables them to be moved relative to each other to convert the article of furniture between its two configurations. The second category includes a design in which a seat portion can be folded outwards relative to a back portion so as to define a horizontal platform which can serve as a bed.

There are problems associated with the known designs in terms of appearance, bulk and cost. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a bed-settee comprising a base and an upper section including pivotally interconnected seat and back portions, the upper section being adjustable between an erect configuration in which the back portion is inclined to the horizontal to define the back of a settee and a lowered configuration in which the back and seat portions are substantially horizontal and co-planar to define a bed, wherein the back portion is pivotal relative to the seat portion about a horizontal axis, at least one strut is pivotally connected at one end to the base and at the other end to the back portion, the or each strut being pivotal relative to the base and the back portion about horizontal axes extending parallel to the said axis, and the upper section is slidably mounted on tracks supported by the base and lying in planes perpendicular to the said axes.

The base may be substantially rectangular in plan, the tracks being supported adjacent each of the narrow ends of the rectangular base. The tracks may be supported on end panels of the base, and may comprise for example channel=section members receiving rollers, slots defined in sheet members included in the base, each slot receiving a roller, or rods on which sliders are mounted.

Preferably the seat portion is slidably mounted on the said tracks. End stops are provided to limit the extent of sliding relative to the tracks, the end stops and the linkage between the seat portion and the tracks being such that, when in the lowered configuration, lifting of the free edge of the seat portion causes the pivot axis between the seat and back portions to move rearwardly, thereby causing the back portion to be lifted upwards on said at leastone strut. Preferably two struts are provided which are interconnected by a torsion bar.

Means may be provided for securing the seat portion relative to the base in a plurality of positions to thereby enable adjustments to the erect configuration.

The arrangement may be such that movement of the upper section from the lowered configuration to the erect configuration causes the edge of the back portion which is uppermost when in the erect configuration to move rearwardly relative to the base, whereby if the upper edge of the back portion is placed in contact with a wall when in the erect configuration a gap is defined between of the back of the bed settee and the wall when the upper section is in the lowered configuration. The width of the seat portion may be less than the width of the back portion.

Preferably the base defines a compartment which is substantially closed when the upper portion is in the lowered configuration and to which access can be gained by lifting the free edge of the seat portion.

The seat and back portions may comprise sheet material supporting resilient cushions of for example foam material or pocketed springs.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention in its bed configuration; Fig. 2 is a further transverse sectional view showing an intermediate stage in the conver-stion of the embodiment from its bed configuration to its settee configuration; Fig. 3 is a further transverse sectional view of the first embodiment in its settee configuration; Fig. 4 is a further transverse sectional view of the first embodiment showing the seat portion raised to give access to the interior of the base; Fig. 5 illustrates the interconnection of struts incorporated in the first embodiment; Fig. 6 is a part sectional view through one end of a seat portion of a second embodiment of the invention incorporating a sprung cushion; Fig.7 is a part sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 illustrates an alternative structure to that shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is an end view on the lines 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a perspective partly sectioned view of a further embodiment of the invention incorporating a pocketed spring mattress; Fig. 11 illustrates a still further embodiment of the invention incorporating both a pocketed spring mattress and open springs therebeneath; Fig. 12 schematically illustrates a still further embodiment of the invention in which the top edge of the back portion moves rearwardly relative to the base as the bed settee is converted from the lowered to the erect configuration; and Figs. 13 and 14 schematically illustrate a still further embodiment of the invention in the erect and lowered configurations respectively, the widths of the seat and back portions being different.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, the illustrated embodiment comprises a base fabricated from a rectangular sheet bottom panel 1, sheet side panels 2 and an upper strip 3 together defining a compartment within which a mechanism is supported for controlling the movement of an upper section comprising a seat portion and a back portion. The seat portion comprises a plywood sheet 4 reinforced by ribs 5 on which a resilient slab 6 is secured. The back portion comprises a sheet 7 reinforced by ribs 8 on which a resilient slab 9 is supported. The slabs 6 and 9 are formed from a single sheet of foam material into which a slit 10 is cut to leave an integral hinge 11.

The seat portion supports a roller 12 mounted on a bracket 13, the roller 12 being received within a channel 14 mounted on the vertical end walls of the base. The back portion is pivotally connected to a pair of struts 15, each strut being pivotal on a pin 16 secured to the back portion by a bracket 17 and on a pin 18 supported in a reinforcing member 19 secured to the back of the base. The struts 15 can swing outwards around the pins 18 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, the strus being received in slots 20 defined in the portion 3 of the base. The portion 3 of the base is reinforced at its front edge by members 21 a U-section reinforcing bar 22 extending along the length of the base between support blocks 23.

The seat and back portions are interconnected by a hinge 24 extending the full length of the two portions. The channel 14 is also blocked at its two ends by pins 25 and 26. The seat portion supports beneath its front edge a pair of legs 27. To move the assembly from the lowered configuration shown in Fig. 1 to the erect configuration shown in Fig. 3, the front edge of the seat portion is lifted as shown in Fig. 2. This causes the seat portion to pivot about the hinge 24, thereby causing the roller 12 to bear against the pin 25. As a result the hinge 24 is forced backwards and to accommodate this movement the back portion is forced to lift upwards, causing the struts 15 to pivot about the pins 18. The configuration illustrated in Fig. 2 results. The seat portion is then pushed backwards in a direction generally parallel to the channels 14 and as a result the rollers 12 move along these channels until they come into contact with the pins 26. The fully erect configuration is thus reached.

Three ribs 28 are provided on the underside of the seat portion to engage behind the front wall 2 of the base. Fig. 3 shows the seat portion pushed as far back as it possible. If it was desired to adjust the angle of inclination of the seat back this could be easily achieved simply by lifting the seat portion and pulling it forwards until the next rib engaged the wall 2 of the base.

If it is desired to gain access to the compartment defined by the base, this can be easily achieved by simply further lifting the seat portion as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus the base provides a large volume container which can be used for the storage of bulky items such as blankets or the like.

Referring to Fig. 5, this illustrates the interconnection of the struts 15 by a torsion bar 29 the ends of which define the pins 18. This arrangement resists any tendency of the assembly to become twisted as it is moved between the lowered and erect configurations.

It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the integral hinge 11 defined between the two resilient slabs maintains the relative positions of the slabs. It would be possible however to provide separate slabs of foam material each defining a loose cushion which could be secured in position for example by Velcro or the like.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, this illustrates a detail of an alternative embodiment in which pocketed spring mattresses are provided rather than simple resilient slabs. With such an arrangement it is not possible to rely upon the inherent resilience of the cushioning material to accommodate the relative movement of the seat and back portions about the hinge 24. In the arrangement of Figs. 6 and 7, this problem is overcome by mounting a hinge at each end of the seat and back portions, the pivot axis of the hinge being offset to coincide with the upper surface of the mattresses. This is achieved in the arrangement of Figs. 6 and 7 by providing upstanding brackets 30 interconnected by pivot pins 31. Other components common to the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 7 are identified by the same reference numerals as used in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9 this shows a track of an alternative form to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the arrangement of Figs. 8 and 9, the track comprises a rod 32 along which a slider 33 is free to move. The slider is mounted on a pivot pin 34 secured to one of the hinge brackets. An end stop 35 is secured to the free end of the rod 32 to prevent the rod 332 from being pulled through the slider 33. The same reference numerals are used in Figs. 8 and 9 for equivalent components.

Referring now to Fig. 10, this shows an alternative arrangement in which the seat and back portions support pocketed spring mattresses of the type illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Again where appropriate the same reference numerals are used in Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 10 where appropriate. In the embodiment of Fig. 10 however, the roller 12 supported by the seat portion is received in a slot 36 provided in an end wall 37 of the base. That end wall would itself normally be covered by a further panel but is shown exposed in Fig. 10 to show the position of the slot 36.

Referring now to Fig. 11, this shows an arrangement similar to that of Fig. 10 except for the fact that the mattresses comprise upper portions 38 incorporating pocketed springs and lower portions 39 incorporating open springs received in shallow trays which define the underlying structure of the seat and back portions.

In the embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 11, the arrangement of the components is such that when the bed settee is positioned against a wall the rear edge of the base can be pressed up against that wall when in the bed configuration.

Conversion from the bed to settee configurations then results in the rear edge of the back portion being positioned close to the surface of the wall. It is not necessary to pull the base away from the wall.

This means however that it is also not possible to walk behind the base when the components are in the bed configuration and this can be inconvenient with regard to making up the bed. Fig. 12 illustrates an arrangement in which if the bed settee in its erect configuration is placed with the back portion in contact with an adjacent wall then when converted to the bed configuration an access space is left between the wall and the adjacent edge of the base.

Fig. 12 shows the wall 40, the adjacent rear edge of the base 41 and the seat and back portions in the erect configuration, the position of the seat and back portions and the fully lowered configuration being shown in broken line.

In the embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12, the seat and back portions are substantially the same width. If desired the relative dimensions of these two portions can be adjusted, for example as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 by making the seat portion considerably narrower than the back portion.

Claims

1. A bed-settee comprising a base and an upper section including pivotally interconnected seat and back portions, the upper section being adjustable between an erect configuration in which the back portion is inclined to the horizontal to define the back of a settee and a lowered configuration in which the back and seat portions are substantially horizontal and co-planar to define a bed, wherein the back portion is pivotal relative to the seat portion about a horizontal axis, at least one strut is pivotally connected at one end to the base and at the other end to the back portion, the or each strut being pivotal relative to the base and the back portion about horizontal axes extending parallel to the said axis, and the upper section is slidably mounted on tracks supported by the base and lying in planes perpendicular to the said axes.

2. A bed-settee according to claim 1, wherein the base is substantially rectangular in plan, the tracks being supported adjacent each of the narrow ends of the rectangular base.

3. A bed-settee according to claim 2, wherein the base comprises end panels on which the tracks are supported.

4. A bed-settee according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the tracks comprise channel-section members receiving rollers.

5. A bed-settee according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the tracks comprise slots defined in sheet members included in the base, each slot receiving a roller.

6. A bed-settee according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the tracks comprise rods on which sliders are mounted.

7. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, wherein the seat portion is slidably mounted on the said tracks.

8. A bed-settee according to claim 7, wherein end stops are provided to limit the extent of sliding relative to the tracks, the end stops and the linkage between the seat portion and the tracks being such that, when in the lowered configuration, lifting of the free edge of the seat portion causes the pivot axis between the seat and back portions to move rearwardly, thereby causing the back portion to be lifted upwards on said at least one strut.

9. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, comprising at least two struts which are interconnected by a torsion bar.

10. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, comprising means for securing the seat portion relative to the base in a plurality of positions to thereby enable adjustments to the erect configuration.

11. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, wherein movement of the upper section from the lowered configuration to the erect configuration causes the edge of the back portion which is uppermost when in the erect configuration to move rearwardly relative to the base, whereby if the upper edge of the back portion is placed in contact with a wall when in the erect configuration a gap is defined between the back of the bed settee and the wall when the upper section is in the lowered configuration.

12. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, wherein the width of the seat portion is less than the width of the back portion.

13. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, wherein the base defines a compartment which is substantially closed when the upper section is in the lowered configuration and to which access can be gained by lifting the free edge of the seat portion.

14. A bed-settee according to any preceding claim, wherein the seat and back portions comprise sheet material supporting resilient cushions.

15. A bed settee according to claim 14, wherein the resilient cushions comprise slabs of foam material.

16. A bed settee according to claim 15, wherein the slabs of foam material are interconnected along edges adjacent the pivotal interconnection between the seat and back portions, the said axis being substantially aligned with the surfaces of the sheet material supporting the resilient cushions.

17. A bed settee according to claim 14, wherein the resilient cushions comprise pocketed springs.

18. A bed settee according to claim- 17, wherein the said axis between the seat and back portions is substantially aligned with the upper surface of the resilient cushions.

19. A bed settee according to claim 14, 17 or 18, wherein the resilient cushions comprise an open spring base received within respective trays defined by the seat and back portions.

20. A bed settee substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5, Figs. 6 and 7, Figs. 8 and 9, Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 or Figs.

13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.